Russian ultranationalism, inflamed by the killing of the hooligan commander Spaniard'

"On December 4th, four vehicles parked next to number 51 at the Flotsky community garden in Sevastopol, Crimea. Several masked men got out with automatic weapons, stormed into the house, and immediately opened fire. According to witnesses, the Russian commander Stanislav Orlov, nicknamed Ispanets (Spaniard), did not return fire. The popular founder of the pro-Russian volunteer brigade La Espanola was thus killed by his own country's security forces,"

"His old comrades-in-arms are divided between those who think the man who united Russian soccer hooligans into a single brigade died for murky reasons, and those who think he was the victim of yet another internal power struggle, as has happened in the past with other well-known paramilitary leaders. The most famous of these was Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner mercenaries who died in a plane crash in August 2023, a few months after daring to challenge the power of President Vladimir Putin."

"On Monday, just an hour before Orlov's funeral began, the Astra television channel showed the arrival of Russian security forces at his home in the occupied peninsula. The leaked images contradicted the version of his death in Moscow, although Astra maintained, citing anonymous sources, that Orlov was involved in organized crime. His death, like that of other commanders of the Russian Spring [the 2014 Donbas war], suggests once again that some people fear the resurgence"

On December 4th masked gunmen stormed a house in the Flotsky community garden, Sevastopol, killing Russian commander Stanislav Orlov, nicknamed Ispanets. Witnesses reported Orlov did not return fire. Initial confirmation of his death by his former unit arrived two weeks later, on December 19th. Comrades-in-arms are divided between theories of murky motives and internal power struggles. Comparisons were made to Yevgeny Prigozhin, who died after challenging President Vladimir Putin. Television footage showed security forces at Orlov's home shortly before his funeral and reportedly contradicted official accounts. Sources cited allegations of Orlov's involvement in organized crime. The La Espanola unit had been disbanded in October.

Read at english.elpais.com